Orthopedic Surgeon Hourly Pay Less Than Lawyers, Dentists

A recent report comparing the salary of orthopedic surgeons to other professionals, such as dentists and lawyers, researchers found orthopedic surgery is less lucrative than the common perception of the profession, according to a Medscape report.

While the report found that orthopedic surgeons reached a cumulative earning of $10.7 million — far above lawyers ($8.3 million), certified registered nurse anesthetists ($7.3 million) and dentists ($6.8 million) — when controlling for the cost of training and hours worked, the total comes out considerably less.

According to the report, debt for orthopedic surgery students has increased by $34,000 for public schools and $40,000 in private schools over the past five years. Since 1984, the medical school tuition has raised in public institutions by 165 percent and in private institutions 312 percent.